Letters to the Editor: Johnson should resign from school board

Tuesday

As an out-of-the-district school volunteer for District 186, I was angered and shocked by Judy Johnson’s comments at the recent school board meeting.

As an out-of-the-district school volunteer for District 186, I was angered and shocked by Judy Johnson’s comments at the recent school board meeting.

Johnson needs to resign from the school board and start volunteering in the Springfield schools. Let her find those “teachers who don’t want to help kids.”

I’ve been a District 186 volunteer for eight years, at four different schools, and I have yet to find those teachers she insulted. I hope there are individuals in her district who were also appalled at her behavior and will run for her seat on the school board.

Elizabeth Muench
Sherman

Vision statement a waste of paper
Why, oh why, is it an issue that a Springfield public schools employee cut and pasted from another district’s vision statement? And now she is on administrative leave? You must be joking!

First of all, that is how vision statements, 90 percent of which are useless wastes of paper, are completed. For that matter, that’s how legislation is drafted — and zoning laws; policies and procedures; and even lucrative employment contracts for school superintendents!

Why reinvent the wheel? I say put the superintendent on administrative leave for wasting everyone’s time with such idiocy.

The last time I looked, the only vision that school district needs is one that helps them stay afloat financially for a few more years. Perhaps a good place to start is to save the money they are planning to waste printing a vision statement! Unless it can stand in front of a classroom and inspire students, it really is an unnecessary luxury.

Bill Harmening
Athens

‘Under vote’ law ought to be repealed
When you go to the polls to vote, the choices you make or don’t make are supposed to be private. But it is not so in the state of Illinois any longer.

Rep. Michael Madigan of the 22nd District secretly got a law through, opening our vote. It is called “under voting.” Such as: If there is only one person running, I must vote for this person even when I do not want to vote for them. Or if it says to vote for four and I want to give my vote to only two, because this was my intention, I’m not allowed. If I fail to vote Madigan’s way, my ballot is kicked out and then I have to explain my actions to the voting judge. Then they have to turn a key for the machine to accept my ballot. In the meantime, everyone in line has now learned of the way I have chosen to express my vote.

As Americans, “We all have the right to a secret ballot.” Did Madigan forget the Constitution? Repeal this law! And while we are at it, we all need to vote Madigan out of office.

We elect people to represent us, the people. But once in office they seem to make their own agendas; they no longer remember to work for us. Remember, we elect them, but can we trust them to do what is right? Let all the representatives and senators in the state know this law must be repealed!

Florence M. Swanson
Pekin

Bush, Cheney must be held accountable
In his March 11 letter, Mark Saunders raises an important issue when he expresses frustration regarding our national failure to bring the Bush/Cheney administration criminals and their accomplices to justice.

Although I am not familiar with the book he cites, I share his concern because our nation has cowered from our enemies within. In order for our nation to move forward, we need to confront those who misused their public offices to enrich their corporate clients and who wrongly persecuted those who did not share their malevolent aims. There is no benefit in absolving the super criminals who, among other things:

* Pillaged our treasury and created huge national deficits with their war-for-profit schemes;

* Sabotaged our national institutions and made mischief against public service; and

* Weakened our economy by dismantling important longstanding financial safeguards, only so their super-rich patrons could take more from us.

Our public officials have a duty to prosecute those who have perpetrated massive damage upon this country. Make no mistake, these perpetrators stand free and have shown they are ready to repeat their crimes against us given the opportunity.

By avoiding their duty to bring the Bush/Cheney administration and their accomplices to justice, the Obama administration and the Congress have undermined their own credibility and weakened our nation further.

Pete Wagner
Springfield

Shocking
Does anybody remember this line from Louis in “Casablanca”?
“I’m shocked, shocked to find one of our fire stations closed today!”

He said that in the scene right after the firefighters union voted fair and square for higher pay and layoffs, as opposed to steady pay and no layoffs. It was like they were in a different club than the rest of the cast.

John Levalley
Springfield

Has about given up on rooting for Quinn
I am very disappointed in our state government.

I was really rooting for Gov. Pat Quinn. He did inherit a state in financial difficulty, but instead of cleaning it up he continued with the same old Chicago/Daley rotten politics. The last straws are cutting education and police. These are vital departments to once again make this a state in which we can all be proud to live.

Quinn will not take the bull by the horns and raise our taxes, at least not before the election. All of them should be forthright and say this is what is needed, along with cuts. The cuts should be given to our elected officials. They can well afford it better than the working citizens of our state.

I do not want a tax increase any more than the next person, but I do see that is the only way out of our dilemma. It should be a fair tax that is imposed on all of the citizens. Our elected officials should stand for what is best for the state and not listen to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and his cohorts. I lived most of my life in the Chicago suburbs and my father was employed at city hall, so I really know of the dirty machine politics that go on there.

Erika Frelander
Carlinville

True leadership is lacking in Illinois
For years, Illinois and its citizens have been the victims of a crime — the theft of our trust.

It has been taken from us by a small group of individuals we chose to represent us and from those we did not. However, as citizens, we are not without fault. As citizens of Illinois, our greatest tool is the ability to vote. Not only to vote, but to vote intelligently. We must not become complacent. We must ask real questions and demand real answers. We must vote for the person who most represents our ideals, not just because they represent a certain party.

This year, Illinois faces a huge financial crisis and, once again, hard-working individuals on the front lines are the target of cuts. Some readers might say that these are well-deserved cuts, that state workers are overpaid and lazy. That conclusion is wrong. The vast majority of state workers are dedicated and hard-working professionals.

I have the pleasure to work with many of them. Like all places of employment, there are a few that wrongly define the majority. As public employees, we are taxpayers and we have as much an interest in the workings of government as everyone. We serve the public and with that service comes a responsibility to uphold a sense of integrity. So to all the elected officials of this state and to all those who seek public office, understand the monumental responsibility you have.

When debating the budget, realize the lives you affect. It is time to make the choices that restore the integrity of your offices. It is time to make the choices that reflect leadership. Before you change the lives of dedicated workers, ask yourself if you have done all you can do. People will respect true leadership and it is time for leadership to return to Illinois. Thank you.

Kortenay Templeton
Springfield

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